The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-06-23
a FoRGoTTEN HEIR.
"A Romance Developed ~ MfnneaI
oils by tile settling OF an Estate.

A FORGOTTEN HEIR.
"A Romance Developed az Mfnnsap-S
oils BY tile Settling Of an Estate.
About six months ago. says The Min-
nea .sois Jonynal, the probate judge was
petitioned 20 appoint q guardian for
Dolly L Pratt, asyoung miss Of u, who
was claimed to be the daughter. OF the
late Stephen. Pratt. The appointment
was made, and yesterday afternoon,
when tho estate was before Probate
Judge, yon Schkagel for final distribil-
ton, there was unusual interest on the
part Of the family to see their new
found relative, for such she proved to
be. They had not ::giyen any credence
to her claims and were anxious to hear
the story she miglitTofate.
There were present yesterday MRS.
Pratt, the second wife of the deceased,J5
and II. C. Pratt; ii son by the first mar
rage. With Miss Dolly i. Pratt. as
she gave her. naTne,a were Mrs. III. j.
Hulett and Henry F. Fischer and wife,
of Maple Plain, and Miss Catherine
Zurich, u midwife, who was presents
when Miss Dolly was born seventeen.
Eyears ago.
The developments that followed were
decidedly interesting and romantic.
The property of tile late Stephen Pratt
consists of $25, 900 personal property
and twenty-three acres OF valuable
land on Western avenue, and the step
mother and son present had supposed ]
they were the only heirs The son
could not recall that he eyer had q sis
ter. He was confident that he had
never seen her, and Thought that she
must be an impostor. Mrs. Pratt was
equally confident, rs she had never.
heard her deceased husband mention
that he had another child. The partiey
present with the newt found daughter
yond q question that Miss Dolly Pratt
is a sister Of H. G. PrattsFand that their
first meeting occurred yesterday.
Mrs. H. E. Hulett, a resident OF
Maple Plain, who has resided id the
countyfor forty years, and in Mime
apol;s except the last two years, said
she knew Stephen Pratt in Maine.
When he came to Minneapolis she was
10 years of age and then living here.
her parents having preceded him To
the western frontier. That was thirty
seven years, ago. When Mr.. Pratt ar
rived he came to her fathers house to-
board. He was then married to the
woman who afterward became the
mother of Dolly Pratt. After remain
ing there some time Mr.. Pratt pur-
chased a farm on Plymouth avenue,
where he lived until his death, about. q
year ago. In. the summer of 187kS5
said Mrs. Hulett, sshe worked at his
house for three months She was then
Mrs. Rosenkranz. and her home was
on the triangle Hear the Plymouth
avenue brid &c. She left Mr.. Pratt''s
in June. but before leaving Mr.. Pratt
arrang ed with her to care for his wife
at home during a period of confine-
ment then close at hand, and four
weeks before her illness Mrs. Pratt
wa domiciled at Mrs. Rosenkranz,
house, Mr.. Pratt paying SIS a week for
her support. About Sept. / the child
was born, Mrs. Zurich acting as nurse.
1t was a girl baby, and any hopes that
might have been entertained that The
newcomer would be of short life were
not realized, for the wee bit OF humanity
prOspered.
Mr.. Pratt paid his weekly allowance
until the babe was 6 weeks old, and
then said he could pay no more. Mrs.x
Pratt then gave the child to Mrs. Hulett
(hen Rosenkranz) and told her to care
for it. Mrs. Hulett did not state why
her child was given her, but the little
one seemed to be unwelcome. With
the consent of her mother, the babe
was given to Mrs. Henry +. Fischer.
of Maple Plain, then living in Minne-
apolis, and they have since cared for
her. Mrs. Hulett said she had seen
Dolly Often; and had kept a watch Of
her for fifteen years, so that she knew
she was the same babe that she cared
for. Mr.. Fischer,,s people were told it
was Stephen Prattss child.
Henry F. Fischer related the circum-
stances attending the bringing Of the
child to his house, and he had taken
care of her ever since. Mrs. Fischer
and the nurse, Mrs. Zurich. all told the
same story, and the new daughtef had
to be received into the family circle.
Her mother, Nancy Pratt, was married
to Stephen Pratt at Anoka in 1859. NRya
The property that Miss Dolly will 40
quire will amount to about $2O,
The real estate consists of twenty-tlree
acres in section II, township 20, and
is valued at $48. 600.
r .